*Chapter 1 | The sepulchre*
● John’s Gospel tells us that *near the crucifixion site was a garden*.
● The Greek word for “garden” is kepos, and it refers to any garden with trees and spices. It can also be translated as an orchard.
● The same word is used in John 18:1 to describe the Garden of Gethsemane, which was an olive tree orchard.
● All four Gospels suggest that this tomb was near the place where Jesus was crucified, but John 19:42 says, “…The sepulchre was nigh at hand.”
● The word “nigh” is the Greek word aggus, meaning nearby.
● Most crucifixions were performed along a roadside.
● Evidently this garden was located in an orchard-like place, just down the road from where Jesus was crucified.
● *John 19:41* tells us that in the garden was “…a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.”
● The word “new” is the Greekword kainos, meaning fresh or unused.
● This doesn’t necessarily mean that the tomb had recently been made but that it was a tomb that had never been used — thus, the reason John writes, “…Wherein was never man yet laid.”
● Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record that this tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea, suggesting that it was the tomb he had prepared for his own burial.
● The fact that it was a tomb “hewn out in the rock” ( *Matthew 27:60; Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53*) confirms the personal wealth of Joseph of Arimathea.
● Only royalty or wealthy individuals could afford to have their tombs carved out of a wall of stone or in the side of a mountain.
● Poorer men were buried in simple graves.
● The word “hewn” in Matthew, Mark, and Luke comes from the Greek word laxeuo, meaning not only to cut out, but to polish.
● It implies that it was a special tomb, a highly developed tomb, a refined tomb, or a tomb that was splendid and expensive.
*Isaiah 53:9 KJV*
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
● Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be buried in a rich man’s tomb, and the word laxeuo strongly suggests that this was indeed the expensive tomb of a very rich man.
*John 19:42* says, “There laid they Jesus….”
● The word “laid” comes from the word tithimi, which means to set, to lay, to place, to deposit, or to set in place.
● As used here, it portrays the careful and thoughtful placing of Jesus’ body in its resting place inside the tomb.
*Luke 23:55* tells us that after Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb, the women who came with Him from Galilee “…beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.”
*CHAPTER 2 | WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE RESURRECTION?*
● Jesus left the graveclothes in the sepulchre :
● In *John 11:44*, we read ...
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
● From this Scripture, it is clear that though out of the grave, Lazarus still had the graveclothes on him.
● Now, look at Jesus after his resurrection. What does the Bible say?
*John 20:5-7 KJVS*
And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
[6] Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
[7] And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
● *DO YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE WITH LAZARUS?*
● After his resurrection, *Jesus left the graveclothes in the grave*. He didn't come out with them ... BUT
● Though saved and resurrected together with Christ, *some believers may carry on them the graveclothes.*
● Do you know that in Christ you are no more in the grave? Do you know that in Christ, you are resurrected and seated with Christ in heavenly places?
● Read *Ephesians 2:6*
● God has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
● Declare with me ..
● God has raised me up together, and made me sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus
● Declare again ... I am resurrected with Christ and seated with Christ in heavenly places ...
*CHAPTER 3 | BIBLICAL STUDY CASES OF GRAVECLOTHES*
● *CASE 1 CLOTHE OF TAMAR*
● Listen ...
● In the Bible, a man called Juda imposed his daughter in law to put on her the graveclothe of widowhood.
● Meaning he was condemning her to remain widow and childless.
● We read ...
● *Genesis 38:11*
Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, *REMAIN A WIDOW* at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
● Do you see ? Remain a widow.
● What does it mean? Accept this situation the way it is. Don't change it.
● *Graveclothe of mourning*
● Tamar was summoned by her father In law to put on the graveclothes of widowhood.
● One day she decided to put off of her such clothe. She is today listed among the ancestors of the kings of Israel and of Christ.
● I can hear the devil putting on someone a graveclothe saying ...
● Remain jobless. Remain poor. Remain childless. Remain dependent on me. Remain sick. Remain single.
● In the name of Jesus Christ, I curse such voice and command it to be silenced !!!!
● Guess what happened with Tamar ...
● She took away the graveclothe of widowhood imposed to her by her father in law.
● We read ...
*Genesis 38:14 KJVS*
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
● Who is condemning you? Who is imposing you to wear a graveclothe? What is that graveclothe? Poverty? Sickness? Stagnation?
● Today, like Tamar, ... ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Angrily, take responsibility to remove from you such graveclothes and by faith, send them back to the grave where they belong and put on you the new clothes of Christ
● In *Isaiah 61:3*, God tells us to put on the *garment of praise*. *What does it mean?*
● *Praise must become your identity* :
● As you praise, I decree over you you will never be identified again with mourning, complaining, fault-finding, criticism, self pity and grumbling.
● *Praise confers dignity and respect* :
● As you praise, I see God turning every area of shame and reproach in your life into testimony of God's glory!
● *Praise increases spiritual authority* :
● As you praise, I see the devil bowing flat before you!
● *Praise makes God's wealth available for you* :
● Poverty is shameful. God wants to make you rich for his praise and glory.
● *Clothe of loneliness, mourning, grief, sadness, heaviness, widowhood, let it be taken away from you
● As the Lord liveth, you will testify to the glory of the Lord!
● *CASE 2 THE CLOTHE OF JOSHUA THE HIGH PRIEST*
● Read *Zechariah 3:1-5 KJVS*
And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.
[2] And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?
[3] Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
[4] And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.
[5] And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.
● Today, the graveclothe of accusation is removed from you.
● While men were pointing finger on the adulterous woman, Jesus stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground the decree of her forgiveness.
● In *John 8:10-11*, we read ...
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
[11] She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
● Is the devil accusing you do the sins of your past?
● Take away the graveclothe of accusation. The graveclothe of scapegoat...
● Let any pointing finger of accusation wither now in Jesus Name
● You are forgiven. There is no more condemnation for you in Christ.
● Jesus is rewriting your story. You are a new creature. The past is past.
● Today you are putting on you the clothe of righteousness...
*CASE 3 | THE CLOTHE OF BARTIMAEUS*
● Before he receives his sight back, Bartimaeus took away his clothe identifying him with curse, with poverty, with begging, with blindness, with misery, with struggle ...
● He ran to Christ and get his sight back.
● Likewise, in Christ, you are no more cursed. Jesus carried curse on him on the cross for you to be blessed.
● Take away the graveclothe of curse off of you,
the graveclothe of poverty, the graveclothe of begging, the graveclothe of suffering
● Put on you the clothe of blessing. Put on you the clothe of wealth. Put on you the clothe of success
● In Christ, you are blessed
*CASE 4 | THE CLOTHE OF ESAU*
● Jacob went through 20 years of misery and struggle because of the clothe of Esau he was forced to put on from his mother when he was going to get the blessing from his father
● *Genesis 27:15*
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her oldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son:
● Some years after, when he changed that raiment first in Peniel and later in Bethel, God restored him thoroughly (Read Genesis 35:2-10)
● Many years later when he left Laban’s house, he understood where the misery and struggle of his life was coming from and instructed his family in *Genesis 35:2*, “… Change your garments …”.
● By doing so, first of all in verse 4, “… the terror was upon the cities around him”; secondly in verse 9, God appeared to him and blessed him; thirdly in verse 10, God changed his name from Jacob to Israel and restored him thoroughly.
● *Genesis 35:10* And God said to him, Your name is Jacob: your name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be your name: and he called his name Israel.
● When you put on someone's garment, it means spiritually that you put on his life, his lifestyle, his battles, his struggles and you position yourself to replicate it in your own life
● *Similar Case David/ Saul*
*1 Samuel 17:38-39 KJV*
And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
[39] And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
*Similar Case Elisha / Elijah*
*2 Kings 2:14 KJV*
And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
●●● Tomorrow we will continue
*Pastor TD KASUKU*
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